Mirocetus

Mirocetus is a genus of archaic odontocete from the late Oligocene of Azerbaijan. Like many other primitive odontocetes, its classification has been fluid since its description.

Classification

Mirocetus riabinini is based on a skull from late Oligocene deposits in Azerbaijan. Although originally assigned to Patriocetidae in the original description, Mchelidze later assigned it to the mysticete family Aetiocetidae. Fordyce treated Mirocetus as Odontoceti incertae sedis in recognition of its primitiveness, and a 2015 paper recognized the genus as sufficiently distinct from other basal odontocete families to warrant its own family, Mirocetidae. However, a cladistic analysis of Olympicetus by Velez-Juarbe recovers Mirocetus as a member of Xenorophidae, rendering Mirocetidae a synonym of Xenorophidae.